Q: You waited until your youngest son was 13 before going into management at IBM in 1983. Why?
A: When I initially came into IBM (in 1973), I stayed in administration because I had a job that I could do and still perform my duties at home. I thought I needed to be there for my boys, and I think it paid off. I didn’t have them getting into any trouble. I needed to be able to go to basketball games, football games and baseball.
Q: Is this advice you give to other women climbing the corporate ladder?
A: I tell women that they have to do what’s right for them. This was right for me. Everybody’s situation is different. I tell women when I mentor them, “You have to always be yourself.”
Q: What is your role as senior location executive – the top position for IBM in Denver?
A: I’m the liaison between IBM and the community. I work very closely with corporate community communications, interfacing with government officials. I’m the voice for IBM when there’s a corporate program that needs to be rolled out to all the Denver employees. I send out a newsletter quarterly. It’s a way to build a community in a virtual team environment. Of the 1,700 people we have in Denver, 97 percent are virtual (they work outside the office).
Q: What’s it like being a black executive in Denver?
A: I find Denver to be a very good place for African-Americans. It’s been great. I’ve done a lot of things, met a lot of people I wouldn’t have otherwise (due to my job).
Q: Do you believe there’s a glass ceiling for women or blacks at IBM and in corporate America?
A: I’ve achieved a lot more than I ever thought I would growing up in Pennsylvania. I have no complaints. I think it’s all in what you make of it. In all the jobs (I’ve had), I did them to the best of my ability. If there’s a glass ceiling, then I imposed it with my own personal desires. I find within IBM they are truly committed to diversity.
Q: Has it ever been implied that your leadership path has been a direct result of affirmative action?
A: I’m sure somewhere, somebody might have felt like that, but it wasn’t made obvious to me. I’ve found people to be very supportive. When I first went into management, the (white male) mentors I had were very supportive, and of course I had a mentor at home. I found they were more than willing to help me. That’s why I do a lot of mentoring.
Q: You’ve been with IBM for 32 years. What was your first job? How did you go from administrative work to managing technical branches of the company?
A: I started out doing financial analysis, but being around technology really piqued my interest. So I went to school while I worked and (in 1998) earned a master’s degree in computer information systems from the University of Denver.
Q: What do you think of the changes IBM has gone through over the years, from a hardware manufacturer to a services company?
A: It’s an interesting shift. It has been very good for the company. Global Services is 50 percent of IBM and 50 percent of the profits. I like it because you’re helping customers to achieve their goals, and you’re using technology to do it. It’s very rewarding because you get to see the end result of your work.
Q: Your husband, Rudolph Watson Jr., also works for IBM. How has this helped your success at the company?
A: When I was late (coming home), he understood. When I took an assignment back East – I was commuting back and forth – he understood. If he weren’t in IBM, I don’t think he would have been that understanding. He knew what the demands were. We usually don’t talk too much about work at home. I have my 10-hour day, so I’m done.
He’s been with the company for 40 years. He’s a manager for one of the server groups in Boulder. We relocated from Harrisburg, Pa., to Detroit and then to Denver.
Edited for space and clarity from an interview by staff writer Kimberly S. Johnson.
